Meeting - September 23, 2024

Update from the 3rd Police Precinct, Lieutenant Brown from Sector 313:

• Only recent crime in our neighborhood is theft of a motor vehicle.

• Secure packages that are delivered to your home; alternative delivery options are available.

• Steering wheel locks are available for Kias and Hyundais from precinct offices.

Updates from Parke Richeson, President and CEO of Maymont:

• Maymont saw over 850,000 visitors last fiscal year ending June 30th; second only to FY21.

• Maymont served 17,500 students last fiscal year.

• Maymont’s Nature Center had 48,000 visitors.

• Garden Glow: improvements include moving the entrance to the Nature Center and providing parking at the farm entrance this year. The neighborhood has 18 tickets allotted per night. Tickets can be requested by emailing the Civic League (maymontcivicleaguerva@gmail.com) with a week’s notice, and tickets will be emailed out.

• Project Maymont 2025: preservation is a goal. This will include replacing the roof of the mansion with its original look, replacing the mansion’s HVAC, and improving the mansion’s fire detection system. Will add behind-the-scenes elements to three of the habitats to improve education efforts. Will improve accessibility with more accessible trails. Currently going through the permit process with the city. Will soon see fences going up, preventing access where there will be construction happening soon.

• Maymont needs to host events to pay for the park.

• A neighbor asked Maymont about the loud music coming from the park. Parke said Maymont is talking with the music promoter to address music noise. Maymont is below the decibel level allowed by the city and cuts off music by 10pm (before the required 11pm time). Another neighbor voiced similar concerns with the music volume. Parke said they will monitor music levels. Joy mentioned we will continue to work with Maymont on the noise issue.

• Jazz Festival: overall very few parking issues in the neighborhood compared to previous years. Joy requested one point person from the festival in the future for contacting with day-of concerns. A neighbor requested parking on the east side of the 1700 block of Hampton Street and temporary one way traffic on Hampton Street. A neighbor recommended temporary parking permits for residents of the neighborhood during festival hours. A neighbor recommended Maymont stripe their Hampton Street parking lot to increase the number of cars that can park in the lot. Parke said they have made that request to the city.

5th District update from Stephanie Lynch (5th District Councilmember) / Amy Robins (5th District Councilmember Liaison):

• Stephanie and Amy were not able to attend but did send an update on the Texas Beach pedestrian bridge: the request for bids to repair the bridge will be advertised in the next few weeks, under contract by the end of the year. CSX will dictate the construction timeline.

• Joy said that for parking concerns near the Texas Beach parking lot when the bridge is open, it would likely be challenging for friends to park near your house if the neighborhood institutes parking passes.

• The city could put up resident-only parking signs similar to those near City Stadium, but those are not enforceable by the police.

• There is a 5th District Mayoral Forum on October 10th at Richmond High School for the Arts.

• The next 5th District Town Hall will be Thursday October 17th at the Byrd Park Round House.

Riverview Park playground update from Ryan Rinn with City Department of Parks and Recreation:

• June 2024 – Parks and Recreation given federal money from the city’s covid relief funds specifically for playgrounds. Money has to be used by the end of the year.

• Met with neighbors at the proposed playground site next to the skate park and community garden about a month ago. Got 55 responses from a survey about playground location and design. A neighbor said the survey did not provide an option to vote against the playground, only preferences for playground location and design.

• Some adjacent homeowners have voiced concerns about not wanting the playground. There are also concerns that it is not natural in a mostly wooded environment. The footprint of the proposed playground has been shrunk to 5900 square feet with all natural materials when available (wood-based structures and ocean-recycled plastics) based on feedback from neighbors. A proposal was passed around with six main elements. Would locate larger elements closer to the back of the playground.

• Parks and Recreation is working on its first master plan since the 1970s. There is a website (https://www.richmondinspire.com) where you can find a survey about the master plan.

• Joy outlined some of the 10-year history of a playground proposal in the neighborhood. Different funding has fallen through over the years. A playground would provide a space for families to feel comfortable and connect with other families.

• Parks and Recreation wants to work with adjacent homeowners on vegetation around the playground.

• Surface material would be turf, the same as the Grayland Avenue Tot Lot.

• Grading the site would be an issue.

• Neighbor said that the space is currently really nice naturally. The immediate neighbors do not have children who would use it.

• The intent of the playground is to be an asset to the neighborhood with families walking there and not impact parking.

• A person associated with the skate park said that this is being moved ahead too quickly.

• A neighbor who works in the community garden said they have been aware of the playground for multiple years. The field is difficult to make things grow and even walk through.

• A neighbor brought up parking concerns with the playground opening and Texas Beach reopening. Joy said that the city wants the civic league to bring forward potential parking options (such as permits if that is what neighbors want).

• Parks and Recreation said that having a visual separation buffer area between houses would be important.

• For the federal funding, a contract needs to be in place by the end of the calendar year.

• Neighbor said she’s been in the neighborhood for 41 years and supports additional space for a playground to share the space with neighborhood families.

Update from Colette McEachin, City of Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney:

• On September 24th from 6-7:30pm, she will be hosting a public forum at VCU’s MCV Campus to discuss public safety and schools.

Update on People’s Budget Commission from Abbey Delaney (5th District representative on the commission):

• This is participatory budgeting where residents can directly recommend what they want funded in their neighborhood.

• Ideas can be submitted online and at library drop boxes.

• Delegates from each district will come together to combine project ideas.

• $3 million is available city-wide this year; next cycle will have $5 million available.

• Recommend submitting ideas even if you think there may be funding in place for a similar project (like sidewalk improvements).

• Seeking volunteers to be a delegate in future phases and get the word out about participatory budgeting.

• See https://www.rvapb.org for more information.